THE WEDDING / BRIDAL PHOTOSHOOT - WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

1. Negotiate everything before you sign any order forms. 

2. Ensure that whatever the salesperson promises you is written into the order form.

3. Keep a copy for yourself and do not lose that copy.

4. Refrain from adding things that cost money when things start rolling. 

~ Small things add up, things like lashes, clip-on nails, and new cosmetic powder foams, they will charge these things into your account if you ask for new ones. You can go with the dirtier used ones or buy new ones or... bring your own (yes, bring it on the day of your photoshoot), they will gladly use yours.

5. Take very good care of the wedding dress when you are in it. 

~ Once you cause a tear into the dress, you may have to pay for the full cost as they cannot use it for future shoots no more.

6. Insist on perfect make-up or dressing. 

~ If you don't like the make-up, ask for a do-over. For instance, if it is too much or too wild and you are the more demure and soft-spoken/elegant kind, inform the make-up artist. It would be great to decide from the start the theme you want to deliver in your album so that the artist can help make you up into the princess you want yourself to be in your album.

7. Have breakfast on the day of your photoshoot but not too much that you get a bulge on your tummy. 

~ The photoshoot will be amazingly long, with next to no time for food in between. You won't have any appetite to eat anyways - who wants to smudge their lipstick, right? - still, it's good to start up energetically in the morning.

8. Do not fight in the middle of the photoshoot. It will show up in the photos.

9. Be wary of things that might turn up in the photos. 

~ If you are not wearing shoes, ensure that they are covered or out of the camera's range; when you dress in a western setting like a conquistador wedding or a Japanese wedding, guys, take off your Casio watch, girls, no glasses etc

10. Have fun. Loads of it. 

~ It will be the last fun thing you will get to do with your spouse without worrying about any other thing in the world.

With love, Mama Sing

HOW TO GET THE RIGHT WEDDING / BRIDAL PHOTO PACKAGE

I'm just going to take a step back and write about one of the best, most fun thing I have ever had the privilege to do: take wedding photos. I have many friend and relatives who are now entering this phase, wondering how much they should spend and what they should get for every dollar spent. If you are also one of the few who wish to know what to look out for, here's several factors that can help you make your decision on which package to take.

Budget and fun

It is important to have a budget before you start picking out a wedding photo / bridal photo album package. Work your way around your budget, give or take a little bit but DO NOT go overboard with it. Much of the fun of making a wedding photo album is the photoshoot, something intimate that you share with your partner and your partner alone. Besides, at the end of it all, five years down the road, the wedding album will be shoved under the bed and so cherish the experience you gain from working together with your spouse... to have FUN at the photoshoot.

Do save up before deciding on the wedding budget because sometimes money can buy happiness. My wedding package was in the vicinity of RM5k and that was because I saved like crazy for it and I felt that it was the right way to pamper me, myself and I for a change, and until today I do not regret my decision.

Indoor or Outdoor or both?

In determining the fun factor, you have to decide if you want to have your wedding photos indoor or outdoor. 

The perks of having it indoor is: 

~no bugs, you can see your eyes on the photos (no need for squinting under the hot sun), the focus is on the both of you, you can have more fun with a wider variety of wedding dresses/gowns, it's easier to control the lighting making you the centre of attention, air conditioning(!) and minimal sweating. 

The perks of having it outdoors: 

~an amazing view, a freestyle feel to it, the chance to have a long-train wedding dress (utilizing the space), night sceneries, beautiful beaches, blue skies and grassy fields can make for breathtaking pictures.

The type of wedding or bridal gowns or dresses

The typical most affordable package will allow you to dress up in 1 wedding gown/dress, 1 evening gown, and 1 traditional or western costume. This can be easily available in the under RM2k category and is great for quickie weddings or just to get it out of your system *wink*. Every girl is entitled to be treated like a princess for a day, so why deny yourself that privilege? 

For my RM5k budget, I got 3 wedding gowns, 2 evening gowns, 2 traditional costumes + 1 wedding gown for my groom-brings-bride-home-ceremony, and 2 evening gowns for my wedding dinners (husband's and mine). That's a total of 9 gowns. You can tell I was a happy bride.

Bear in mind that usually you are only allowed to reuse the wedding gowns used for the photo album for the wedding dinner. Try to negotiate for at least an extra wedding gown (fresh pick) for each of your planned wedding dinner or reception. And do this BEFORE you sign the order form.

Knowing what you do and don't need

The thing with wedding / bridal photo album packages in Malaysia is they put in a lot of stuff that you don't really need, but first, let's talk about what you do need:

1. wedding photo + frame for your mom's house.

2. wedding photo + frame for your spouse's mom's house.

3. wedding photo + frame for your house. 

~This is usually huge, and hung over your bed. I have two which are still sitting in a closet because no one has gotten around to start nailing stuff onto our still newly painted walls.

4. a photo album, maximum TWO photo albums

~usually one large, and one small. Keep in mind to have a good-quality cover or an overall album, that is, ask for aluminium corner casings that will prevent the side of the album to curl up over time.

5. complimentary wedding photos. 

~These are sent with the invitation cards that go to your closest friends and relatives. It's a personal gift which limits it to around 30 copies. Some bridal shops give it to you for free but will charge you extra if you want extra copies after you have signed the package. Well, they need to make a living you know.

Now, to what you do NOT need:

1. Weird photo frames or designs that cost extra. 

~They end up being dust collectors at your home thereafter.

2. Adding extra poses AFTER you have decided on how many poses you are getting within your budget. 

~Many packages go overbudget after the initial price because you will see many beautiful pictures of yours that you want to put into the album, but lo and behold, you have exhausted your number of poses for your album. What are you going to do? Well, after going through a gruelling day (mine took 8 hours) to finish the photoshoot, of course you will buy the extra poses.... at an extra RM8 per pose. Yeah, you do the math. An extra 12 poses will definitely set you back RM100 easily but by then there is no turning back.

3. The flower settings they put on the front of the groom's car. 

~You can return them and do your own flower settings and get this, they charge you around RM120 for this service. You can ask friends who are good with flower arrangements to do it for under RM30 (for the materials, it's your business how much you angpow you want to give to your talented friend).

4. Large photo albums that are impossible to transport around. 

~Go for more manageable sizes. The length of my large photo album is twice the width of my small one (which is comfortably smaller than the regular primary school textbook).

Remember that you are the star of the day and therefore things should go your way without you feeling guilty about anything. Don't go overboard with the poses but don't be too clamped up about it too. Experiment with everything and anything. 

Love your wedding, Love the camera, Love yourself.